Zoro's Promise
by Hidden White Shadow
Summary: The Strawhats look for their first adventure in the New World, and they arrive on a mysterious island. On the island, however, someone who Zoro believed was dead long ago appears right in front of their eyes...
1. Mysterious Island

"Sanji! Food!" The hungry captain shouted towards the kitchen.

It was just a normal day for the Strawhats. Nami was tanning out on the deck, and Robin held a book in her hand while she sipped the "special" lemonade Sanji had made her. Zoro, as usual, was taking a nap in the gym, while Usopp and Chopper were fishing. Franky was in the workroom, finding ways to improve his Coup De Burst and Brook played an upbeat melody that boosted everyone's energy level.

It had been a few days since they left Fishman Island. After the fight with Hody Jones, the Strawhats hadn't encountered any particularly strong enemies, just some bounty hunters who were finished off by Robin's strangles at the most.

They were sailing in the New World, where they sought for stronger enemies and more challenging fights that would help them improve. Just over a week ago, all of the crewmembers were shouting out their goals in the New World, excited about meeting tougher opponents, reaching further for One Piece, but so far, all they've seen was the vast ocean. Nevertheless, the Strawhats enjoyed this peaceful moment while they could.

"Luffy! Come help us over here! This one's a big one!" Usopp called out. Chopper and Usopp were barely holding onto the overly-bent fishing pole. In a matter of seconds, Luffy shot himself over and in his gear third form, pulled the fishing pole upwards into the sky, revealing the giant sea king.

"WOAHHHH!" Usopp, Chopper and Luffy gaped at the enormous sea king in front of their eyes. The sea king roared, and was loud enough to wake Zoro up from his nap. He looked up, and saw the sea king hovering over their ship. Then, he saw Luffy's enormous fist. The sea king flew about 300 meters in distance, hit something that seemed like an invisible wall, and plunged into the ocean.

"Wait, what was that?" Usopp asked. Everyone looked up from whatever they were doing. In the distance, there seemed to be some sort of a transparent wall.

"Nami! Bring us closer to that wall!" Luffy shouted out. Finally, something 'interesting' was happening.

The Thousand Sunny turned towards where the sea king just landed, and when it hit a certain point it stopped, and wouldn't go any further.

"What is this barrier? Why can't we cross it?" Nami stared at the unseen wall in front of them.

"I'll just destroy it." Luffy smiled, "Gomu Gomu no…PISTOL!" his massive fist punched the wall, and everyone waited for the expected crashing sound, but they heard nothing.

"Huh? Luffy's punch can't break the wall?" Sanji kicked himself up in the air. "Shishi Nabe shoot!" For a moment, everyone was silent, and waited for something to happen, but again, the crew heard nothing but the ocean waves crashing against the wall and Sanji's quiet curse.

"Dumbass cook, your kicks are pathetic, as usual." Zoro smirked.

"What did you say, you shitty marimo?" Sanji glared back.

"I don't even need to use all three of my swords to break something that doesn't even seem to exist." Zoro pulled out his white blade. "Yakkodori!"

Suddenly, the crew heard a loud shatter as the invisible wall finally crashed down and the pieces fell into the ocean.

"WOW Zoro you're SO COOL!" Luffy shouted, amazed at the swordsman's skills.

"Shitty swordsman…dammit why couldn't I do it?" Sanji swore under his breath.

"Wait guys…I think I see something!" Nami suddenly shouted. The Strawhats looked closer, and there it was, behind the mist—land.

"FINALLY! It's land!" Luffy jumped in the air, already excited about their first adventure in the New World.

"Huh? How could this be? None of the log poses are pointing towards the island…is this even possible?" Nami stared at the three needles that were pointing to different directions, but none towards the island.

"It looks…scary." Usopp shuddered at the sight. It was true. The island looked like a black hole. It was hidden behind the mist, and no matter how close they looked, they couldn't see anything but darkness.

"We don't even know if it's safe or not. Luffy, we should just pass." Nami looked uneasy.

"Definitely NOT! We should go! It's ADVENTURE!" Luffy hollered. In his mind, he was already on the island, battling powerful fighters. Rolling her eyes, Nami, with no choice but to follow her captain's orders, navigated the Thousand Sunny into the mist. Soon, a "clunk" sound was heard as the front of the Thousand Sunny hit the island.

"YAY! We're finally here!" Luffy jumped onto the land. Zoro followed.

"Uh…I'll stay here…" Usopp suggested. Chopper and Nami nodded in agreement, but the Strawhats decided that it was their first adventure in the New World, and it wouldn't be meaningful if not all of the crewmembers went, so in the end, everyone got off and started to look around.

"HERE WE GO, NEW WORLD!" Luffy's voice echoed across the entire island.

* * *

Meanwhile, deep inside the island, a woman sat on a stone, with a demonic smile spread across her face.

"He's finally here." She whispered.

* * *

I've fallen in love with One Piece for a long time, but this is my first time writing a fanfiction for it! I hope you like it, and please review! I'm open to all comments, but please don't be too harsh on me :P

**I do not own One Piece, or any of the content/characters/names etc. **


	2. Unexpected

The island was covered with trees—dead ones. There were no leaves, and the long branches diverging outwards and interweaving with branches from other trees made it look like all the ones on the island were connected. There was no more light, which was strange, because before they had entered the mist, the sun was shining brilliantly on the Thousand Sunny.

"Nami Swaaannn~ I will protect you no matter what!" Sanji swirled around Nami.

"Oi, love cook, shut up. You're too loud." Zoro scowled.

"Who're you calling love cook, marimo head?" Sanji charged at Zoro, but was met with a fist.

"You both stop arguing, or I'll charge you more beris!" Nami growled.

"Nami Swaan is soooo cute when she's mad!" Sanji's raging eyes instantly turned into hearts.

"Hey! I think I see a ghost over there!" Luffy stormed deeper into the island before anyone could react.

"Oh dear, there goes Luffy again. He just can't control himself, can he?" Nami sighed.

"We'll just have to find him. We'll split into groups and find him, then meet back here." Usopp proposed.

"I'll go with Robin-chan." Nami stood next to Robin.

"I will protect these beautiful ladieess!" Sanji rushed over to their side.

"I'll go with Sanji..." Usopp muttered.

"Then the rest of us will go together!" Chopper stood next to Franky, Brook and Zoro, and with the groups decided, they went off in different directions to find their clueless captain.

The island looked almost entirely the same—there were just the same bunch of trees lying everywhere. The ground was mostly dirt, with some little stones scattered on the ground. The two Strawhat groups walked on and on endlessly, seeing the same trees, just as they had been seeing the sea for the past few days.

"Are you sure we're going the right way? I feel like we've been stuck here for hours already." Nami asked the others.

"Well, I don't think we can do much to solve that problem, there's no man-made path that we can follow…I don't even think humans live here…it would be impossible to live here, without anything to eat, but then again, we never know what's on this spooky land." Usopp answered carefully, looking out for any dangers.

After about thirty more minutes of tedious walking, Nami noticed the chilliness that had silently crept around them. "I think I'm getting goose-bumps all over my skin. Why is it getting so freezing here?" There was no light here, and there was no heat source either. It was getting pretty cold on this island.

"I will gladly give Nami Swan my jacket!" Sanji immediately took off his jacket and put it around Nami's shoulders.

"Thank-" Nami was cut off my Usopp.

"Over there! Isn't that a roof?" Usopp pointed. Everyone's gaze followed Usopp's finger and they looked towards where he pointed. Indeed, there was a slight shadow of what looked like a roof behind all the shadows and mist.

"We should hurry, It's going to get even colder as the moon rises." Robin warned. All four of them hurried off towards the roof.

* * *

Meanwhile, the other group of Strawhats was running towards the same place, but on the opposite side. They continued running towards the roof, until they reached their destination.

"Woah, this is huge!" Chopper cried out.

An enormous house stood before the four Strawhats. The walls of this house were made of wood, but the wood looked nothing like the dead trees surrounding the house. This wood was smooth and polished, and the color of the wood blended in with the dark surrounding. The door was painted a dark brown, with delicate designs carved onto it. The house was situated at the exact center of the island, completely surrounded with lifeless trees. Thick fog and mist hid the house from plain site, with the roof barely peeking out.

"This architecture is extremely well constructed! I haven't seen anything like this anywhere except in Water 7!" Franky exclaimed, mesmerized by the impressive work.

"This is truly amazing, in the middle of such a ghostly place! I can't believe my eyes, although I don't have any! Yohohoho!" Brook joked around.

"I don't see, in anyway, how this house is—" suddenly, Zoro stopped dead in his track.

"Zoro? What's wrong?" Chopper looked at Zoro nervously.

"Swordsman, what's the problem?" Franky seemed worried now, too. Eerie silence filled the air. Everyone stared at Zoro, expecting him to say something.

Without warning, the sound of clashing swords ripped through the quiet atmosphere.

* * *

"Luffy!" Nami shouted towards their captain, who was standing in front of the wooden house.

"Hey Nami, there's a huge house here! I think people live here! Let's go in ask for meat! I'm STARVING!" Luffy drooled at the thought of meat.

"Is meat really all you can think about?" Nami barked at the naïve captain.

"Well, we should see if anyone's here, so we should try to get in anyway. Where's the door?" Robin asked, calmly analyzing the current situation.

Unexpectedly, a loud clash of metal was heard close behind. Everyone snapped up at the sound.

"What was that?" Sanji got ready to protect Nami and Robin from any possible dangers that might be threatening. His feet were fired up, ready set anyone on fire.

"That sounded like Zoro! They must be in trouble!" Luffy recognized the familiar sound.

"It sounded like they were on the other side. Let's hurry!" Sanji shouted. Everyone rushed around the corner, and they kept running until they reached the place the sound had come from. They suddenly came to a stop when they saw what was going on.

Zoro was shaking, struggling to prevent the red katana from coming any closer to him. His white katana guarded him against the opponent's katana that was presently dangerously close to him. He tried his best to keep calm, as he could not comprehend this situation he was currently in. He stared at her in wonder, who looked exactly like, but at the same time nothing like, the girl he used to know.

"You've certainly improved, Zoro." She said.

"Ku…Kuina?" Zoro asked, "No… it couldn't be…" his intuition screamed out the name, but no, he had to be wrong. She died years ago. It was impossible.

"Zoro, you shouldn't doubt your instincts. You know who I am." She read his mind.

"No, that's impossible. Kuina is dead. She died years ago in an accident."

"That's what you think…and that's what everyone thinks…"

"Like I would believe that! Who are you?" Zoro asked in frustration. The Strawhats looked at him, dumbfounded, completely unaware of what was happening. No one dared to speak a word. No one, not even Luffy, had ever seen him so irritated.

"Haven't I told you already? I'm Kuina. I beat you 2001 times." She smiled, as Zoro's eyes widened. He remembered this smile. It was no mistaking here. It was her.

"How...no! I saw you! You were DEAD!" At this statement, the Strawhats jumped in their spots. Zoro was never so shocked or puzzled. He was never this frustrated.

"But I'm here, right in front of you."

"…What the hell…happened?!" he was so confused. He couldn't think or speak straight.

"I knew you would ask, but I can't just give away such secret information. How about…we make a deal? You'll fight me with one katana, and if you win, I'll tell you what you want to know."

"And if I lose?"

"I will take one of your nakama's life." She answered. Immediately, Zoro's face flushed red.

"Like hell I would agree to that! I would never put my nakama's lives on stake, and I think you're underestimating my crewmates-" Zoro was cut off by a scream.

"Ahhh!" Nami screamed in shock. Handcuffs locked her wrists behind her back, and no matter how hard she moved she couldn't get them off. One by one, all of the crewmembers, all except Zoro, had handcuffs on. The Strawhats desperately tried to find the person who had done this, but they saw no one.

"Luffy! Stretch your arms and get us out of these things!" Sanji roared.

"I can't! These are seastone handcuffs! I can't use my powers!"

"I do not underestimate your nakama at all. I am fully aware of their strength, which is why I have prepared as well. Will you accept my offer?" She asked once more.

"I don't know what you are scheming, or how you're alive, or if you're even Kuina, but I'm _definitely_ not letting my nakama die, not on our first adventure in the New World, not because of me." Zoro answered.

"Very well, then. Let us start." Taking back her sword, she stepped back, took a breath and lunged forward.

_I can't lose no matter what. I won't lose again. I've improved. I will win. I will find out what happened, and I will save my nakama._ Zoro vowed to himself.

With the clash of swords, Kuina and Zoro's 2002th fight started.

* * *

Thank you for the reviews! The next chapter will be mostly action (Zoro & Kuina's 2002th fight)!

Thanks for waiting, and I'll update the next chapter next week (hopefully)!

Please review! I love to see read the reviews, they really do encourage me :)


	3. Realization

The blades of the Wado Ichimonji and the red sword clashed together, making a sharp sound that pierced through the calmness of the night. Zoro used the dull side of his sword to fight her—his instinct kept telling him that she really was Kuina. In that case, he didn't want to hurt her. He stared straight into her eyes, and he noticed something strange. Her eyes were different. They weren't the eyes that Zoro remembered from his past. Her eyes were…deeper, and darker…

_"Owarino Nai Yoru!"_

Zoro snapped out of his thoughts and attempted to raise his katana to defend himself, but he was too late…or rather—she was too fast. Zoro felt a flash of pain in his waist as his blood splashed the ground beneath him. Before he knew it, Kuina had already attacked him and was standing behind him, charging at him once again. He spun around barely in time to guard himself. Once again, the Wado Ichimonji, and the red sword now stained with more red, clashed together, sending another sharp rip through the air. Concentrating his strength, Zoro managed to push Kuina away and distance himself from her.

"If you don't go all out on me, then you will lose your life. My sword is the _Jubaku_, one of the twelve greatest swords ever made in the world. This katana has never been broken and this sword could easily kill you. If you want to save yourself and your nakama, fight seriously, Zoro." A demonic smile spread across Kuina's face. Zoro frowned slightly. This didn't look like Kuina, not one bit. He never remembered this devilish smile. He was confused, but now was not the time to think about that. Kuina or not, if his focus wavered for even a split second, not only would he be killed, but one of his nakama would die. Trying not to hurt her would be impossible now that he got a taste of her skills. His life wasn't the only one at stake now—his nakama's was. Figuring out her identity would have to come later—after he had won the fight. Zoro tied his black bandana around his forehead with his free hand.

"That's more like it." As the same smile appeared on her face, she launched herself at Zoro.

This time, he was ready, and taking a step back, Zoro brought the Wado Ichimonji up against her sword. Then he pushed forward, trying to push her back. However, she was strong and held her ground. She was also persistent, blocking all of Zoro's attacks, and adding her own in between. It took all of Zoro's concentration just to keep up to her attacks.

Penetrating clangs of Zoro and Kuina's metal swords rang through the island. The Strawhats watched the fight silently as the two swords kept striking, trying to thrust forward and refusing to back down. None of the Strawhats dared to move or even breathe, so they stood there and watched, praying for Zoro's victory. The fight went on for what seemed like ages. After every strike, Kuina and Zoro pushed away from each other, panting, but soon collected their breath and lunged forward once more.

"Not half bad, are ya? Just as good as I remember." Zoro smirked.

"You've gotten much better, you're not that weakling who lost against me so many times anymore. Let's see how much more you can handle." Kuina sneered back. "_Ryū no Honō!_"

She dashed towards Zoro, her sword waving in a curved motion. He was ready to block her attack, but at the last moment, she sped up. If Zoro had felt that she was fast before, in that one moment, she was unbelievable. He suddenly felt an agonizing throb in his chest, as he tasted blood in his mouth. He was familiar with this pain and he realized at once where Kuina had cut him.

"Zoro! His wounds from Mihawk's fight re-opened!" Chopper panicked. Fresh blood dripped down Zoro's wound. "I have to treat it now! He's going to lose too much blood if he keeps fighting with that wound!"

Chopper tried to dash forward, but realized that his movements were extremely restricted due to the handcuffs. Chopper's eyes watered with tears as he watched Zoro helplessly. Luffy, through his gaze, told Chopper that Zoro would be fine. Of course, he was Zoro. He wouldn't fall, not before he beat Mihawk.

Zoro's chest throbbed badly—the previous injury in his waist was nothing compared to this. Moving just an inch burned the already painful wound, but Zoro wasn't even close to giving up yet. He had faced worse during the fight with Mr.1. Zoro blocked out all the pain and concentrating purely on his technique, he charged forward.

"_Hiryu: Kaen_!" Zoro yelled.

"_Tsuki no Kage_" Kuina whispered.

Again, Zoro and Kuina's katanas clashed, but silence soon followed. Zoro looked up at the red blade that reflected the horror in his eyes as memories flashed in his mind. With the flat side of the _Jubaku_, Kuina had completely stopped Zoro's attack. She looked exactly the same as Mihawk when he had blocked Zoro's _Oni Giri_. Flashback of the memories caused Zoro to become aware of the injury in his chest, and the pain he had been blocking out instantly rushed back to him. He felt a stinging burn as Kuina pushed him to distance herself, setting up her last attack.

"_Tora no Hōkō_!" Kuina roared with ferocity.

_Move. Bring your sword up to block her attack. You're going to die. Your friends are going to die,_ Zoro kept telling himself, but even so, he was not physically, nor mentally prepared to defend himself properly. Her katana clashed with his as Zoro flew backwards, smashing against a tree. Kuina inched towards him.

"It's my win, again. You still can't beat me, even after all those years? You're pretty pathetic, Zoro." Kuina scowled. Suddenly, to Zoro and the Strawhat's surprise, bringing her katana up, Kuina got in position to strike Zoro, to kill him. Zoro, shocked by her actions, couldn't move his body. He was stuck.

"Zoro!" The Strawhats shouted in terror. Everyone tried to run towards him, to somehow stop her from killing him, but they couldn't—they were stuck in those pitiful handcuffs.

"Dammit! Don't you dare kill Zoro! His life was never a part of this stupid deal! Stop!" Luffy shouted desperately, realizing that his first mate was on the brink of death. He wanted to help so badly, wanted to do something, but he couldn't—Luffy felt so…helpless.

Zoro stared straight into Kuina's eyes. Her eyes were filled with murderous intent. She was really going to kill him. Now, Zoro started to doubt himself. Was she really Kuina? Was she the Kuina he used to know, the one he respected so much? Was she really the one who inspired him to the extent where he could throw away his life to keep his promise? Zoro started regretting. Regretting that he had tried so hard to become like her—someone so heartless, someone so cold.

He reflected as the glistening _Jubaku_ held in Kuina's hand slashed downwards. Zoro waited for the agony, the shock, and death. He waited for all his hard work and his dream to crumble down. He waited…

But it didn't come. Zoro looked up, and his eyes widened at what he saw. Kuina's eyes had changed. In her eyes, he could see…horror, fear, and panic… It was nothing like what he had seen just a few seconds ago. Her sword had stopped right above him, and her hands were shaking, as if she was conflicting against herself. Through her eyes she seemed to say to him, _"Move, Zoro…I don't want to kill you… you must leave here. I'm not who you think I am. Take your nakama and leave."_

Then, her eyes changed back, but in that instant Zoro was able to roll himself on the ground just in time to escape her sword that pierced through the thick trunk of the tree.

All of a sudden, Zoro realized. He realized why her eyes had changed, why she looked so alien, and why she hadn't killed him at the last second. Because he knew why, he couldn't leave this island…he had to do something about it. But he needed to know more. He needed to beat her to get more information. He also had to do it quick, he had lost too much blood and was already starting to lose focus. He had do end this in one attack.

"Ittoryu…" Zoro concentrated with all the strength he had left, "Sanbyakurokuju Pound Ho!" A small tornado spiraled towards Kuina.

"Burakkuhōru!" Kuina howled. Similar to Zoro's attack, a small blackhole-like projectile whorled towards Zoro.

With a huge explosion, the two air-compressed attacks collided. The ground shook with such fierceness that caused nearly half of the trees on the island to collapse. Dust and smoke filled the air, blocking everyone's vision. Even the sturdy wooden house behind them shook dangerously. A huge hole had formed where the attacks had collided, as if a meteor had just struck the earth.

Slowly, the dust cleared up. The Strawhats were barely standing due to the impact of the wind, except for Chopper and Nami, who had helplessly fallen down.

"What happened?!" Sanji asked. Everyone had the same question in their minds. They looked around for the answer, and they soon found it lying beside the wall of the wooden structure. All the Strawhats rushed to Zoro, who was covered with blood.

Zoro was standing in front of Kuina, the point of his blade pointing directly at her neck. His green coat was soaked in dark red, and his swords dangled at his side. Kuina lay on the ground, the cracked _Jubaku_ thrown meters away from her. Somehow, everyone's handcuffs had already disappeared. Everyone ran towards him, but no one spoke a word. The atmosphere around Kuina and Zoro told them that it wasn't time to celebrate yet.

"I've traveled with my friends, half way around the grand line. I've met strong adversaries and I've lost too. But I've also practiced, and have improved." Zoro said, his sword still pointing towards her. "I want to know the truth—what happened, exactly _who_ you are, and why you are here. I've won the deal, so spit it all out."

"I think _I_ can answer your question." A new voice spoke to them. Everyone turned towards the figure walking towards them, "Kuina, you hopeless child…have you lost…?"

* * *

Hi, thank you for all who have commented on my work! This was my first try on action, and it was TOUGH, but phew~ I got it done :)

I have a few translations to include. I thought of Kuina's attacks and her sword myself, and I checked on the OP wiki that I hadn't copied any of Oda's work. Here are translations for Kuina's sword and her attacks:

**Sword:** Jubaku: Curse

**Attacks**

-Ryū no Honō: Dragon's Flame

-Tora no Hōkō: Tiger's Roar

-Burakkuhōru: Black Hole

-Owarino Nai Yoru: Endless Night

-Tsuki no Kage: Moon's Shadow (defense)

Again, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! Please review or leave a comment! I will update the next chapter ASAP!


	4. Angel's Fruit

"I think _I_ can answer your question."

Everyone turned to the voice. A woman was walking towards them silently. She wore a long red coat, not much different from Zoro's, and in her right hand she held a wooden stick. A red mask covered half of her pale face, and her rosy lips curled into a wicked smile. Black aura surrounded her, and the air around her felt cold and heavy.

"She's a beauty~!" Sanji was about to race to her oblivious of the surroundings, but Nami grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

"Stay back!"

"Gomu Gomu no…Bullet!" Sensing danger, Luffy shot his long-stretched arm at the mysterious woman.

"Wait…!" Kuina started, but was cut off by a thunderous cracking sound.

"Shall we discuss without cheap fist fights?" Her words were collected. The rock behind the woman was shattered into pieces, and every one of the Strawhats stared in awe. She hadn't changed her path nor moved her head one bit, and yet Luffy's punch went nowhere near her. It was as if Luffy's attacked had dodged the woman. Was this the power of the New World?

"Luffy?" Usopp tilted his head in confusion, "What happened?"

"I don't know…how…" Luffy seemed baffled himself.

"I'd like to settle this with words, not fists." She replied quietly and then turned to face Kuina. "Kuina…you've lost, and I hope you realize it was all in your weak will. Be ashamed."

"I apologize, sensei." Kuina replied. These words made everyone snap up.

"Sensei?" Nami muttered. Everyone was thinking the same. This woman didn't look like she would, nor could be a teacher, not of the sword—she was almost as skinny as the stick she was holding in her hand, and her legs seemed like it would snap in half if she fell. Nonetheless, no one put their guard down—this was the New World, after all. "This woman seems dangerous, so everyone, get ready to fight. We don't know who she is, or what she has up in her sleeves." Nami warned.

"Even if you fight, you will have no chance of winning against me." The woman was still relaxed, not even slightly bothered by anyone's words.

"Don't get so damn cocky!" Zoro was getting irritated by her attitude.

"Roronoa Zoro…" The woman grinned, "I've always wanted to see you…to see who was it that…" she trailed off, "well before I say anything, please put down your sword. You have won the fight, and I will tell you what you want to know. There is no need to kill her now…Kuina _is_ my student, after all." To this, Zoro growled, but he put his sword back into its sheath.

"I'll have to start with clearing some confusions. First of all, this _is_ Kuina, and she 'died' when Roronoa was a child, by 'falling off the stairs', which is why he can't accept the fact that she is in fact, alive." The Strawhats who've never heard about Zoro's past listened closely.

"What happened?" Nami asked.

The woman took a deep breath, "It's quite complicated, actually. Kuina at that time, was an excellent swordsman, and she had great potential to become…perhaps the greatest swordsman in the world. Even Roronoa couldn't beat Kuina. Actually, today is his first win." At this, everyone gasped. They couldn't imagine Zoro losing, not to a girl, not to an adult, and he was getting closer to 'the best' everyday. Zoro was silent the entire time as memories flashed back in his mind.

"At that time, Kuina had a sensei—her father. He was a great user of the sword, but he didn't know how to encourage his pupils. Instead of giving Kuina hope that she could become the greatest, he dejected her by telling her that women couldn't become the best." Zoro clenched his fist and pictured Kuina silently crying by herself as the woman spoke exactly what had happened.

"One day, I went to see her father for some personal business, and I happened to walk by the training room, where Kuina was training…" she continued.

_"Nice to meet you."_

_"Welcome. Please sit inside."_

_"Thank you. I saw your daughter as I was walking here…"_

_"Yes, her name is Kuina, and she is currently training to become a swordsman."_

_"She has some great skills." _

_"She does, indeed. She can beat most of the adults, actually…it's a pity she was born a girl."_

_"What do you mean?" _

_"Women generally lack in strength compared to men. A woman cannot become the best…Kuina cannot achieve her dream. I do hope she is thinking of something else as her goal..."_

_"Ah…I see."_

"From her father's words, I realized that he would've said those words to Kuina…but I didn't think the same way he did."

_"Kuina, meet my partner. She is a great user of the sword, and share quite similar ambitions as yours." Kuina's father called her into the room._

_"Nice to meet you." The woman smiled warmly. _

_"Nice to meet you, too. I'm Kuina." _

_"I saw you training on my way here…you have impressive skills." _

_"Thank you."_

_"So, young lady, what do you want to become when you grow up?"_

_"…"_

_"Perhaps you haven't thought about it yet. I was expecting an answer from a lady a little too young. I apologize." The woman quickly said after feeling the tense silence that hung in the room._

_"No, I have a dream. My dream is to become the best swordsman in the world." Kuina stared straight into the woman's eyes. Her eyes were dark but shining, full of ambitions and goals._

_"I see…you have a tough way to go." _

_"I don't care. No matter what it takes, I'll do it."_

_"That's wonderful, I hope you achieve your goal." _

"I knew that Kuina was determined, and she could undergo any training she was given, to achieve her dream. Despite her young age, she was more mature than most adults. The only barrier was her father, who was beating her dream with his sharp stick of words. Luckily for Kuina though, I needed a good swordsman in my crew…so I gave her a nice offer that would benefit us both…"

_"You're the one I saw today…why are you still here?" Kuina asked, looking curiously at the woman standing before her._

_"I'd like to give you an offer…" _

_"…and what is your offer?"_

_"I want to help you achieve your dream. I will help you the best I can, and I will definitely let you reach the top…I will encourage you and set a path for you. A path without barriers…"_

_"…I don't understand what you are saying."_

_"I know that you want to become the best, and I also realize that your teacher, my partner is setting a barrier in your path…or rather destroying it. I'd like to offer you some help."_

_"I…don't need it. I…I'll listen to my father. He knows better than me. He has seen more than me. Thank you for the offer, but…no thanks."_

"When she said those words, I could tell from her expression that that obviously wasn't what she wanted, but I didn't say anything, mostly because I knew that she would change, and as I thought she found me in my temporary house a few days later…"

_"Hi, Kuina. How have you been?" _

_"…I wanted to talk to you about something."_

_"And what would that be?"_

_"The offer…" At Kuina's words, the woman's lips curled up into a distorted smile, "I'll accept it, if it's not too late."_

_"That's fantastic. But I forgot to say, that there is one condition…"_

_"…?"_

_"You'll come to my place to train." The woman spoke with the gentlest voice she could manage to speak in, "It's not a scary place, just where my pupils stay and train together, just like this one."_

_"I'll have to ask my father…"Kuina turned, but was grabbed by rough hands._

_"I have already informed your father. He told me that as your father, he will respect your decision." _

_"…okay." Kuina answered, but couldn't help feeling that for just that one moment she was grabbed, there was a different person behind her._

"Phew. The boring part is over." The woman suddenly cut off. The Strawhats realized that they were holding their breaths, and took a deep breath as the woman did so as well. Slowly, a faint smile spread across her face that sent chills up the Strawhat's spines. She quietly whispered to herself, "Now, it gets really interesting…"

_"…What is this?"_

_"This is a part of moving to my place." The woman held out the small vial of purple liquid in front of her. _

_"I'm just moving to your place. Why is this needed?"_

_"It's a welcoming drink."_

_"I don't want it, it's fine."_

_"Drink it." The woman's eyes suddenly turned stone grey, and her words fell on Kuina like ice blocks. _

_"o…okay." Kuina accepted the vial. Carefully, she opened the vial top and spilled the liquid down her throat. Suddenly, a burning sensation spread through her her as pain flared up in her throat. Tears blurred her vision. Every part of her body seemed like it was being devoured by fire. In her head, she could picture flames licking her skin, burning her flesh, melting her raw muscles away. She wanted to scream, but her throat wouldn't make a sound. She stared straight ahead, and saw the woman with the same smile. She heard one last sentence from the woman before she passed out. _

_"Don't worry, you'll only be dead for a day. I'll come get you, Kuina."_

A sudden scream was heard, and before anyone could react, Zoro's sword was right next to the woman's throat, ready to slice it any moment.

"Please, put the sword away. This is very rude." Even with the sword next to her throat, her life hanging on the edge of the cliff, the woman was in no hurry.

"What did you do to her? Answer me." Zoro glared into the woman's eyes. The Strawhats stared at them blankly. They felt as if the air around them was suffocating them. The woman stayed silent, not speaking a single word. Furious, Zoro swung his sword high in the air, and slashed down.

"No!" Kuina shouted out desperately.

Everyone gasped. Zoro was shaking, unable to move. His sword was thrown away meters behind him, buried in the dry, dead leaves. The woman was smiling at him, and Kuina let out a loud sigh.

"Didn't I tell you that you had no chance? How many times will I have to tell you until you finally get it? All of you…let me tell you this. You may have been the 'strongest' pirate crew, you my have beaten all of the 'strong' enemies. You may have the highest bounties on your heads…but this is the New World, where the strongest of the strongest of the entire world gather. There are plenty out there that could beat you easily, and I am one of them. Do not underestimate the Grand Line. You're only half way there—and the half way you've come is the easy part." She walked towards them.

"I can't move my body, and I don't see anything that's tying me down!" Franky shouted. He couldn't move, even with his gigantic body and his corresponding power. It was no different with the other members of the Strawhat.

"I will now answer your question, Roronoa, because I'm pretty sure you'd want to hear this." Zoro fixed his glare on her. "After her death…"

_"Kuina! Are you okay? Kuina!" The woman shouted desperately. "Someone, come and help her!" _

_"What happened…oh my goodness! Kuina!" Kuina's father rushed to her side. He leaned down, checking her pulse. It was there, but barely. It was getting weaker every beat. _

_"Someone, call the doctors. She fell from the stairs. I think she hit her head. Hurry!" _

* * *

_"Kuina…" sobs and murmurs were buried by the pattering sound of rain pouring down on them. All of the students training at the place, the teachers, everyone who knew Kuina walked alongside her coffin. They followed a long path until they reached a mountain, where she would get buried near her ancestors. _

_Even after the funeral, everyone stood in front of her grave for hours. When the rain finally stopped pouring down and the clouds cleared up temporarily, everyone returned._

"That night, the sky was foggy and the mist covered the mountains. Everything was perfect…it was as if even the Gods wanted me to do what I did for Kuina…"

_"Where…" Kuina woke up, and her head hurt terribly. She looked around, and her eyes widened as she saw what was in the room. In the room, there were different lengths and types of katanas hung on the wall, almost all of them with complicated designs all over their sheath. The room itself was nice—everything was made of wood, but it was polished._

_"How do you like the room?" A familiar voice snapped Kuina out of her thoughts about the room. She snapped up, eyes glaring up at the woman. "Don't look at me like that, tell me if there's anything that you don't like about this room."_

_"It's not my room. After what you did to me, I can't stay here. I want to go back." She told her._

_"But you're not going back. We're already too far from your home." The woman smiled._

_"What do you mean?" Kuina growled at the woman's smile. 'That smile is the sweetest yet the most bitter smile.' She thought to herself._

_"We're in the Grand Line, in the New World." The woman answered. Kuina's mouth dropped. _

_"The New World…? But how…" She stuttered._

_"That doesn't really matter. The only thing that matters, is that we're here on an island, and that you're going to train under the best teacher and you're going to achieve your goal. You should be feel fortunate." _

_"No. I want to go back. I won't take the hand of a devil to reach my ambitions. My dreams can only achieved with my friends. I want to…I want to see Zoro. I want to see my friends. Bring me back." Kuina demanded._

_"A devil? This is your best chance of becoming the best, of achieving your dreams! ... and Zoro…? Who is that?"_

_"We promised…I promised. He's going to think I'm dead, and he's going to take my entire burden with him. I want to go back."_

_"No, you are not going back, no matter what you say. You're training with me."_

_"No I…"Kuina stopped. Suddenly, she felt someone stepping into her mind. She couldn't move. Suddenly, a voice spoke in her head, and she froze. _

_"Kuina, I will teach you the way of the sword…by taking over your body. This way, I will move your body and train it until it gets used to the movements and this way, you will become the best." Kuina wanted to scream, wanted to run away, hide from this strange woman, but she couldn't control her body. She fought back as hard as she could, but she couldn't last long._

"And she gave in." The woman chuckled, her face filled with pride. It took quite a while for me to fully take over her body. She was tough, and that just made me like her even more. But after that, she obeyed instructions quite well. I trained her everyday with all my strength and power. I brought her here, although I did need to force her to be stronger at times…" she let out bitter, dry laughter as the Strawhats stared with disgust. Zoro was shaking, barely fighting back the urge to charge at her once more.

"Wait…that means…" Robin noticed.

"Yes. I've eaten a special fruit, just like some of you did. Except, mine is not a devil fruit, but it is the 'angel's fruit'."

* * *

**Thank you all for waiting patiently for this update. I know that this chapter may not have been as exciting or interesting as the other chapters, since it's it reveals the past. However, this is a very important part of the story, and there are more action to come, so please do keep reading :)**

**The end of school year is nearing, and it's been really busy the past few weeks. I will try to update the next chapter (hopefully much more exciting than this one) ASAP!**

**Thank you all so much and please review! **


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